


Drabbles and Ficlets

by Calacious



Category: The Big Valley
Genre: Angst and Humor, Drabble Collection, Fluff, Gen, Prompt Based
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-10-27
Updated: 2014-10-27
Packaged: 2018-04-15 05:50:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4595304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calacious/pseuds/Calacious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A collection of drabbles and ficlets featuring characters from, "The Big Valley".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tom's Regret

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of this work of fiction, and no profit, monetary or otherwise, is being made through the writing of this fan fiction for, "The Big Valley".
> 
> A/N: This nugget of thought came to me awhile back, and it hasn't grown from a double-drabble.

Tom fancied himself a man who was always in control. He prided himself on that, and his family. Of course, he hadn't counted on falling in love with Leah, and having a brief, thankfully uncomplicated, affair with her. The woman hadn't ever sought after money, or blackmailed him. She never contacted, or demanded anything from him, and he'd gone back to Victoria, and his family, with no one the wiser.

Had he known the truth – that he'd fathered a son – he'd have done something for Leah and her boy. He'd have taken the child in – Victoria would have been angry with him, but she'd have loved the boy, even just to spite him if that's what it took.

Looking down from heaven, Tom could see that Victoria loved Heath as though she'd given birth to him herself, and he approved of it. He just wished that he could have met Heath himself, and that he could have apologized to the boy, and his mother.

But, death didn't allow for those types of regrets; didn't allow for him to fix past mistakes. It was a callous, unforgiving ending, and one that Tom more than deserved, having left his family, and his secrets behind.


	2. Silence Between Brothers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes silence speaks louder than words. A drabbe-like piece exploring the brothers' relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOC - Jarrod says something that he would not typically say. This might bother purists. I, however, am okay with it.
> 
> Not meant to be taken very seriously.   
> Just a short, drabble-like piece inspired by part of a prompt from the Spinny Thing, which gave me the animal, alligator (among other things).

"You ever wrestled an alligator, Heath?" Nick asked, quirking an eyebrow. He'd just learned that Heath had been in Florida, briefly, and was curious.

Jarrod's lips twitched upward slightly, but he shook his head at his younger brother's antics. "Leave the boy alone, Nick. Ain't no one here wrestled an alligator."

Heath shrugged, and just smiled, not answering the question.

"Well?" Nick asked, pressing the issue.

Again, Heath shrugged. He picked at a piece of lint on his shirt, tossed it in the general direction of their campfire, and looked out toward the horizon. The sun was about to set, the sky getting that deep blue, almost purple coloring it got when the sun was ready to give up the day to the moon and her cohorts.

"That does it," Nick said, his voice rising. He tossed a stick into the fire, and watched as sparks flew up from the center of it, spilling out over the edges, onto the white stones they'd set up around the pit. "You're not gonna just sit there, and claim to have wrestled an alligator and not tell us about it, are you Heath?"

Jarrod frowned. "Now hold on, brother, Heath hasn't said a word."

Nick shook his head and tossed another stick into the fire, stirring up more sparks. "That don't mean nothing. It's more what that brother of ours doesn't say that tells us what is, and what isn't."

"Oh, and his not saying whether or not he's wrestled an alligator means that he has?" Jarrod laughed and shook his head. "Well, don't that just beat all?"

"Laugh all you want, big brother," Nick said, tossing in yet another stick, and kicking up sparks and smoke. "But, you don't know Heath like I do."

Choking, Heath wiped at his eyes, and sent a pointed look at Nick. Nick dropped the stick that he'd been about to feed to the fire, and wiped his hands off on his pants. Clearing his throat, Nick leaned back against a log, and settled in for the night.

Jarrod watched his two brothers and shook his head. Nick sure did understand Heath, perhaps a little better than Jarrod did, but Jarrod, from where he was sitting, could tell that Heath understood Nick, too.


End file.
